The present invention relates to a method of assembling a door and a method of assembling a vehicle including a door. In particular, the invention relates to a method of assembling a car (automobile) door.
Known car doors are typically assembled by welding various strengthening and reinforcement elements to an inner panel and then attaching an outer panel to this subassembly by a hemming technique. This bare door is then allocated to a car body along with other bare doors and a bare hood and a bare trunk and this set of components is then painted together to provide the final exterior color for the vehicle. Such a technique ensures that all exterior surfaces of the vehicle are of uniform color since the final coat of paint on all panels is from the same batch of paint.
Subsequently the functional hardware is then installed through holes in the inner panel into the painted doors and water management membrane is applied to this inner panel to close the various access holes.
Finally, a trim panel is fixed to the inner panel to provide a styled aesthetically pleasing surface which incorporates appropriate features such as switches, door pockets, loudspeakers and heater grills.
Thus, the assembly of the door components into the door is from the inside (when considering the associated vehicle). Such an assembly method means that the various door components must be assembled into the door on the vehicle assembly line since all exterior panels are painted together and the door components must be assembled after painting.
An object of the present invention is provide improved method of assembling a door.